Being a Sponsor with Alisha Joesph
In this conversation we’re talking about the distinction between mentorship and sponsorship with our guest, Alisha Joseph. Drawing from over 15 years in the support industry, Alisha shares her journey from frontline agent to senior leadership, offering invaluable insights into how leaders can effectively identify, develop, and advocate for talent within their organizations. She introduces a practical framework for transitioning individuals from mentorship to impactful sponsorship, highlighting the importance of strategic opportunity creation and unwavering support.
Check out Alisha’s newsletter where she goes much more into detail about Sponsorship: Coffee, Chaos & CS Support
Key Topics Discussed
Mentorship vs. Sponsorship: Defining the Difference
Mentorship focuses on building skills, visibility, and credibility, often involving guidance and best practices for personal and professional development. Sponsorship, on the other hand, takes those developed skills and significant impacts to the next level by providing major visibility, introducing individuals to key decision-makers, and creating opportunities for career advancement.
"So where mentorship is a lot of that teaching and guiding sponsorship is kind of putting your your actions where your mouth is essentially and getting people in the room, right?"
Insights from Alisha on how a leader's success isn't just about keeping people in support, but helping them grow their careers in any direction.
The Transition from Mentorship to Strategic Sponsorship
Alisha emphasizes a transparent, structured approach to talent development, starting with a comprehensive assessment of an individual's accomplishments, impact, and areas for improvement. Once foundational skills are solid, strategic sponsorship begins by collaborating with other stakeholders to create high-visibility opportunities that align with business objectives and key performance indicators.
"So, I like to meet people where they are and and take a look at what they've accomplished, how it has tied into the bigger aspect of the business, and then I'm looking at what they need to improve."
Real-world examples shared by Alisha, including setting up an agent to present training impact to senior leaders by translating support achievements into business language and numbers.
Navigating Setbacks and Sustaining Sponsorship
Sponsorship can involve "sink or swim" moments. When individuals "sink," Alisha advocates for transparent conversations, allowing time for emotional processing, and a return to targeted mentorship to address gaps. This involves re-evaluating the approach, providing specific feedback, and potentially starting with smaller-scale opportunities before re-engaging at a higher level.
"But you have to be you have to understand the language. You have to understand what's important, what they want to focus on, what those conversation looks like..."
How this impacts the need for leaders to advocate for their teams by understanding organizational goals and translating support value into business outcomes, avoiding the trap of adding work just for the sake of it.
Memorable Quotes
"Sponsorship is just simply taking it to the next level with your career and being able to show what you've done on a bigger scale."
"The transparency is what it is, even though it may sting and it may sting for a while. The transparency is what's helped people overcome it."
"Serving for me is always first. If you don't serve, I don't I don't see why you here. Like, I don't see why. You’ve got to serve."
Takeaways
Strategic Opportunity Creation: When sponsoring, intentionally create opportunities that directly tie back to organizational goals, driving measurable business impact rather than just adding tasks for skill development.
Maintain the Mentorship Thread: Sponsorship doesn't replace mentorship; it builds upon it. Continue providing coaching and feedback, especially after challenging experiences, to reinforce learning and prepare individuals for future opportunities.
Serve with Intention: A core principle of leadership, especially in the support industry, is to serve your team, customers, and stakeholders. This commitment ensures you're consistently working to uplift others and contribute to collective success.
